And this NEXT week is going to be crazier. Sister Krauel and I are headed to Uherske Hradiste tomorrow for an exchange with 3 sisters, then on Thursday we have leadership training in Prague, so we'll be staying with the Bratislava sisters wednesday night and riding in a car with the zone leaders EARLY thursday morning for a drive to prague. Then on friday we're doing an exchange with the bratislava sisters. Then on Saturday we have the 7th annual commemoration of the dedication of Slovakia for missionary work! (since the country was dedicated in 2006 by Elder Uchtdorf). We'll be having a devotional at our church, we're putting together some musical numbers (you'd be surprised how much I end up singing now - didn't really do that before my mission -) and then we're headed up to Brenzin where the dedication site is for a spirtual program and a piknik.
Phew :)
I have such a testimony of studying the scriptures and taking time to ponder. I know that God talks to us as we read His word and that as we think about those words and question, that answers and enlightening will come to us :) like we never could have imagined! :) Starting off your day with a great scripture study fuels your entire day.
MIRACLE. Our zone leaders texted us monday night saying "we feel very strongly that SOME one is needing to be found tomorrow in slovakia. Please fill all of your extra time with finding!"
Tuesday morning :) We had a service project set up with the Red Cross. We went and watched them do a first aid contest for the zakladna skola (it's like elementary). I loved it. I think I want to be EMT certified when I get home. The human body is just sooo cool :) but anyway, so we're there. We help, we have quite a few meaningful conversations with the teachers, talk with the director and eat lunch with her, meet her family etc. I'm thinking "this is soo cool we can invite all these people to hear the message of the gospel etc. etc.!" but none of them really expressed a lot of interest. I'm beginning to think "oh no, we just spent 3 hours and it didn't really help us find anyone to teach" but THEN. just then.
we're in the teacher's lounge filling out some diplomas for the contest winners and talking with some people from the red cross. A girl comes into the room and starts talking to me. "Who are you? Why are you here? You're from America? Well why are you here in slovakia?" The typical questions slovaks usually ask :) but then she starts asking about the church. We share with her about God. We teach about prayer. Turns out she's been searching for a while. She asks about repentance, how she can be clean from sin. Teach and testify :) She sets up with us for a couple days later. SH'es running late, hasn't showed up. Oh no! Maybe she didn't actually want to meet, I don't know. Praying praying so so hard!
ta da! She comes around the conrner! She comes to our meeting! We have a beautiful lesson. It was too perfect to be true. She accepted everything. Agreed to pray every day, read the Book of mormon, accepted to be baptized, she goes to church every week by herself, and she's not very old. Wow. I have SUCH a testimony that God really does send prepared people to the missionaries. They are everywhere :) It is sooo great to be a missionary :) I love sharing the gospel.
other events from this week:
Our toilet broke! yay so that was exciting haha.
We also spent an hour with a couple Jehovah's witnesses this week. I like them. I like their passion about their religion. They're religion is very interesting. My favorite part was just being able to testify and see the spirit work. The spirit is just soo cool and soo powerful. Gosh God is cool :)
First of may is a HUGE holiday here. They put up a HUGE may pole in the middle of the town and their is dancing and singing, folklore galore. See the pictures :)
Also, love when you stop catholic's on the street and you ask about their religion. Find out that they're catholic and ask them about what they believe happens after death and they respond "reincarnation".
I didn't know the doctrines SUPER well before I came on a mission, but now I really am learning them, and knowing them.
I have learned a great deal in my mission from trying to relate to the Prophets and Jesus Christ. Isn't it just great to have those moments where you say "ah ha, so this is how nephi must have thought, or this is what Christ must have been feeling"
I wonder why it is, as human beings, that we find such joy and delight in being able to relate to or understand another person, be they living or not. Why do we often find ourselves trying to "take a walk in another man's shoes?" Why do parents give the same advice to their children? (e.g. your child is picking on another child, You tell him to stop and think about his actions. How would you feel if another child were to pick on you?)
What is it about the perspective of looking through another's eyes that fuels our desire to change and the spiritual gift of empathy?
God has never meant for men to feel or be belittled. Humble, of course. But never demeaned. The soul is of infinite worth.
As I had the opportunity to visit a kostel with an investigator last week, he mentioned to us how he doesn't like the churches because they make a person feel "small". I thought, hmmm. The temple is even bigger than a kostel, even grander, but I never feel "small" there. I feel infinite love from a God who knows me and talks with me. I don't believe God want's us to feel small. In fact, we've heard from his Prophet to "stand a little taller".
(and try though I might, still just 5' 2") :D
The ultimate key to standing a little "spiritually taller", at least as far as I have found, is to change. To look back on the lessons learned which lead to lessons learned from those lessons learned and to apply that newly found knowledge.
Now take this thought, about lessons learned, and think for a moment about the scriptures.
How often do we see this phrase... "And thus we see.." etc. etc.
Alma probably was a master wielder of the "and thus we see" 's
But what is he really saying? He's saying "Look, I just told you this awesome story or this doctrine, and THIS is what you were supposed to learn from it."
Now let's imagine we had on our own "and thus we see" to every "and thus we see"
That's what the prophets do with scriptures from Abraham and Moses. As we keep a record of what we learn from our parents, what they learned from their parents, and so on and so on, we accrue a wealth of knowledge that surpasses generations. Just imagine the knowledge and wisdom we could have in just a small amount of time spent learning from the "and thus we see" phrases.
I love you all! Have a wonderful week :)
LOOOOVE sestra kane :) ! You're in my prayers
Don't forget to pray for the prophet and his apostles :) They need your love too
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